


For You

by kinneyb



Category: Queer as Folk (US)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-15
Updated: 2016-02-15
Packaged: 2018-05-20 18:02:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,398
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6019750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kinneyb/pseuds/kinneyb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brian is turning thirty-seven, Justin surprises him with a meaningful gift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For You

Justin stared at his phone, his fingers slowly moving as he typed out a message. 

  * _"I have no clue what to get him, Daph, helppp."_



He clicked send, watching as the phone flickered and the screen flashed with a little notification that the message had been sent properly. He had been so sure of himself when the idea originally hit him; sneak out early in the morning when Brian was still sleeping and buy him a present for his birthday. Should've been simple, but was anything involving Brian Kinney ever simple? He snickered. The short answer was no.

He walked along the sidewalk and looked in every store he passed. Nothing stood out. It was hard buying for Brian for two reasons, he decided, as he stopped inside a clothing store and began browsing. Reason one: he was picky and dishonest, always brushing people off when asked about what he wanted. Reason two: if he truly wanted something, he bought it - no ifs or ands about it.

His phone vibrated in his pocket and he quickly yanked it out.

  * _"How about some chocolate lube?~"_



Justin rolled his eyes. Girls.

  * _"Only if I want him to laugh at me and then throw it away."_



He slipped his phone back in his jeans, stopping at a rack of clothes and shuffling through the many items. Ugly, boring, too much or too little. Justin huffed, running his fingers through his hair. Did Brian have to be quite _so_ picky? Soon after his phone vibrated again and he whipped it out, humming quietly as he looked over the message.

  * _"So you want romantic?"_



He paused.

  * _"Something like that. I wanna surprise him and that isn't easy with him, you know that."_



"Do you need help with anything?"

Justin glanced up from his phone. Standing in front of him was a _very_ beautiful man. His eyes brushed over his name-tag and he smiled brightly. "No, uh, Andy, I was just looking." If only he hadn't basically given up his old ways the minute he graduated and moved in properly with Brian. "Do you have any other suits?" he asked, pointing at the rack of clothes he'd finished looking through where he'd found nothing even worthy of his lover.

He blinked, his eyes catching a display in the window. 

Andy continued smiling. "Yes, we do. Right over here," he said, hand gesturing, "do you want to follow me and - "

Justin shifted, his shoes squeaking quietly on the floor. He glanced at Andy, lips spread out in a happy smile. The perfect gift; he thought it would be impossible but he had found it just like that. "I changed my mind," he said, "I want that," he pointed at the display window and the employee smiled back.

"Good choice."

\---

 Justin was busy making dinner when he heard Brian getting home. He fought against smiling, not wanting to give his surprise away just yet. When Brian entered the kitchen he quickly slipped over, pressing his lips against his chin and lingering, "long day?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"Yeah," his lover sighed after a minute, slinging an arm around him, "what'cha making?"

Justin smiled now, shimmering out of Brian's arms (as much as he disliked doing) and clicked off the oven. "Spaghetti."

Brian smiled. It was small, tired, but it was a genuine smile and suddenly Justin remembered how lucky he was. When he originally met Brian getting a real fucking smile out of him had been one of the hardest challenges in the world, now he saw one almost every night.

"Go sit down," Justin said, nodding at the table, "I'll get us plates."

He watched as Brian shrugged off his coat before going over to the table and sitting. Justin smiled, turning his attention on the food and grabbing some plates, plopping two good servings of spaghetti on both. Thirty-seven; Brian Kinney was thirty-seven and he was finally his. It only took him how much time to get under his skin?

Snickering, he strolled over and placed one plate in front of Brian.

"What's so funny?" Brian asked, eyebrow slightly raised as he took a sip from the wine Justin had prepared.

Justin shrugged, placing his own plate on the table before sitting. "Nothing," he paused, "it's just it's weird."

Brian hummed, "what is?"

"You being so," Justin grinned cheekily, gently poking Brian's leg with his feet, " _domestic_."

Brian scoffed, a spoonful of spaghetti entering his mouth, "I'm good at surprising people, sunshine."

Justin nodded. He was right, he really was. "Do you know what today is?"

"Uh," Brian glanced up from his food, "garbage day?" 

Justin knew he knew when seconds after he smiled toothily. Little prick.

"It's my birthday," Brian sighed, "and you're not gonna let it go by without doing something, are ya?"

Justin grinned. "You know me so well. I got you a present." Without saying a word, he jumped up and rushed in the bedroom. When he came out, he was indiscreetly hiding a box behind his back. He walked up and paused, his legs brushing against Brian's knees from where he sat. "Eyes," he leaned in, "close em."

"I hope you're not planning to kill me because I've gotten too old and you want some new young stud," Brian had a way of saying jokes where they really, really didn't sound like jokes. Justin gently elbowed him and he did as he'd been told and closed his eyes. "Remember my life policy goes to - "

Justin silenced him with a kiss on the lips. "Gus, yes, I know." He placed the box on Brian's lap and kissed him one last time. A part of him was nervous he'd hate the gift. Hell, a part of him was worried he wouldn't even remember the night the gift was inspired by. "Okay, you can open your eyes now."

"Ah," Brian opened his eyes, "just what I always wanted; a box."

Justin crossed his arms, "can you not be sarcastic for five seconds?"

Brian grinned up at him before focusing back on the box in his lap. It was pretty small, and nicely wrapped with a bow around it. Suddenly he felt a pulling in his chest as he realized he'd seen the same box before. He glanced at Justin suspiciously as he slowly wrapped a finger under the bow.

Once the bow was off, he gently removed the lid and just like that he confirmed he was right.

One word properly explained how was feeling and only one: _fuck_.

"I," Justin cleared his throat, "let me see it, I'll put it on you."

Brian reached in the box and removed the soft white fabric resting inside, smiling softly. It was almost identical, but of course it wasn't an exact replica. He stood up, handing his lover the scarf and quietly watched as Justin wrapped it around his neck one time. It was soft like the original, but unlike the original it wasn't stained red.

"I never apologized for ruining your scarf after-all," Justin muttered, tightening it up, "so sorry."

Brian ran his fingertips over Justin's cheek, down his neck, before resting on his shoulder. "Thank you," he leaned in, gently pressing his lips against Justin's as he adjusted the scarf so it was slung over both of their necks. He stood there, stilled, and settled his hands on Justin's hips. "Really."

"Of course," Justin replied instantly, lips stretching out in a smile, "now what do you want for dessert?"

Brian laughed, his chest rumbling, "I have a few ideas."

\---

Brian waited until Justin was asleep before he opened up the closet and dug for the box. It was dingy by now, old and the bow was shredded, but that wasn't what mattered. He stood up and glanced inside the box, the mix of red on white fabric sending memories dancing through him that even now made him feel like his knees would give out on him any second.

He glanced down at the new scarf, the replacement scarf that was still firmly wrapped around his neck. 

Slowly he approached the garbage and settled the old ratty box on top, smiling as he walked away and crawled back in bed. Justin immediately tossed an arm over his waist, pulling him as close as possible. Brian leaned down and pressed a kiss against his temple.

_Time for some new memories._


End file.
